There is a tendency during electrodic action for deposits to build up along the outer surface of at least one of the electrodes of an electric treater, such deposits inhibiting the electrodic action. Moreover, dipole water molecules, in the case of a liquid containing water, have a tendency to form a layer around the positively charged electrode during treatment, such layer also inhibiting proper electrodic action because it obstructs free access of impurity particles in a liquid to the electrode. The build up of deposits is especially deleterious in instances where it would otherwise be advantageous to use an aluminum anode.
The problems associated with keeping a rotating electrode in a liquid treater free from unwanted deposits have been previously addressed by my U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,190 of Dec. 30, 1980 entitled "Rotary Electrodic Treater With Jet Action Cleaning", and 4,292,163 of Sept. 29, 1981 entitled "Liquid Treater Having Electrode Stripper". U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,163 discloses an electolytic treater wherein a rotating, horizontally oriented anode is specifically designed so as not to be immersed in the fluid being treated. The anode is provided with a plate-like stripper for removing adhering water molecules and reacted products from the surface of the anode. U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,190 discloses an electrodic treater having a rotating, vertically oriented anode designed for immersion in the fluid being treated. The cathode of the treater is configured as an elongated inlet nozzle directed towards the rotating anode so that the anode is cleaned by the jet action of the liquid issuing from the nozzle-shaped cathode.
Notwithstanding the contributions of the above-mentioned patents to the electrodic liquid treater art, there has heretofore been no attempt to provide a contact scrubbing member for use with an electrodic treater having a rotatable, liquid-immersed anode.